Filter construction



Jan. 8, 1929,.

W. WAGNER FILTER lCONS'I'RUGTON Filed Jan. 5, 1925 HHHHH!! 'HHHHHHHHIIHM ummmmumul lets below 'the Patented Jan. s, 1929.

UNITED .STATES H y 1,698,019 PATENT oFF-ICE.

WALTER WAGNER, or BERWYN, ILLINOIS, AssIGNo'n, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS 'ro GENERAL ZEOLITE COMPANY, OI' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A conronA'TIoN or ILLINOIS.

'FILTER co'Ns'rzaucrIoN.

Application tiled January 5, 1925. Serial No. 46 6.

This invention relates to improvementsin the construction of filters of the so-called industri'al or municipal type as distinguished from the domestic or household type. As is well known, such filters are designed for large capacity and rapid action and are characterized by the employment o'f filter beds of sand. Customarily these beds are Supported on an underlyingfoundation of gravel which rests on the floor of the tank or filter basin. Outlets for the effluent are arranged in or below the gravel bed, the latter being depended upon-to prevent the sands escaping through the outlets. Such filters re uire frequent backwashing to free them rom the sludge and other material which they have collected from the water. The operation of backwashing customarily is effected by the introduction of clear water below the bed under sufficient pressure to thoroughly churn up the sand and wash out the sludge.

Subsc uent proper operation requires that after bac washin ,the bed resume its proper position and uni orm thickness, and the attainment of this end is dependent upon the uniformity of the gravel foundation stratum.

One of the purposes of the presentinvention is the provision of a filter construction which will facilitate the backwashing operation by providing a uniform and complete distribution'of the backwash water under the filter bed, and prevent displacement of the foundation gravel at points over the backwash inlets.

Another object is the provision of a con- -struction which obviates the necessityc for strainers or spry heads on the inlets and outl ter bed and which will prevent clogging of the outlets by material from the filter bed and gravel foundation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims', or obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. AFor the purpose of this application I have elected to illustrate-"embodiments of the invention in diagrammatic fashion. It is to be understood, however, that the forms of the structure, and the particular manner in which the invention is applied are susceptible of great variation Hence the illustrative disclosure herein isnot to be construed in any fashion such as to limit the invention which I purport to secure, short of its trie and most comprehensive scope `in the ar In the. drawing forming a part of this specification, v

F1g. 1 re resents a diagrammatic sectional elevation o a filter embodying a form of the invention Y Fig. 2 is a detail in the nature of a sectlonal elevation of certain elements of the construction; and d .Figs 3 and 4 are plan or top views of, distrlbuting supports.

The nature of the invention will best be understood by consideration at once of the illus' tratlve embodiments. Let it be understood that the numerals 10 designate side wall por'- tions of a filter basin or tank which has a bottom 11 forming the support for the filter bed. Belowthe bottom 11 is a collecting and distributmg chamber 12 which is served'b an outlet 14 for filtered water, and by an inlet 15 forbackwash water. Of course the same condult may be utilized for the withdrawal of filtered water and the introduction of back- Wash water. A. large number of distributing tubes 16 aord communication between the filter basinA and distributing chamber 12.v

These are distributed over the area of the bottom 11 at substantially equidistant spacin They constitute outlet passages vforthe iI- tered water and inlet passages for the backwash w: ter. In connection with their' functioning :n the last-mentioned particular, it is 'necessary thatthey be of relatively small diameter, in order to secure the desired uniformity of distribution of backwash water 'under the filter bed, 'as will be pointed out presently. Over the upwardly directed outlets of the tubes 16 are arranged the distributing supports 17. These are rectan lar members preferably square and may material ofadequate strength. Their proportion and construction bear a definite relatlonship to the distribution and spacing of made of vconcrete or other suitable water. resisting the tubesl. As will beseen in Figs. 2 and row to prevent the passage through them of foundation material of the contemplated size. They may be arranged in a variety of disposals, designed to' facilitate the passage of water upwardly and downwardly through them, while gmaintaining the strength of the member adequate to carry the contemplated s weight of bed material and water. The dis-I posal of the side openings 17 is such as to facilitatepassagc o water from one of these members to another below the top portion 17 b. The proportions of the top portion are such with reference to the distribution and spacmg of the tubes 16, that when a plurality of the distributing supports are assembled in lateral abutment on the filter floor, they form a support for the gravel foundation 18 andthe superimposed sandiilter' bed 19, and their distributing shields 17d are positioned over the openings of the distributing tubes 16. The filter is provided with suitable supply inlet 20 for the raw water, and discharge collector 21V for the backwash water. 1

, In the operation of the apparatus, the raw. water is introduced into the filter basin from the inlet 20, and passes downwardly through the filter bed, through the foundation bed 18 andthrough the openings 17c of the dis-Y tributing su ports, findingv egress from the i filter basin t rough tubes 16 to the distributing chamber 12, whence it is withdrawn i throughthe outlet 14. In the backwashing o eration, backwash water is introduced t rough the pipe 15 into the distributing chamber 12. The small diameter of the tubes 161permits the building up in the chamber 12 of a pressure which is necessarily uniform, so that the discharge through the tubes 16 is equalized over the entire area of the basin. Such e ualization is of great importance in accomp ishing the desired churnlng up and flushing of the lentire filter bed. Of course, the small diameter of the tubes 16 and the pressure of the backwash water tend to produce forcible jets. These may be of such force that if impinged directly upon the gravel foundation they would tend to displace the gravel and form channels through the foundation which, upon the resettling of the bed sandv after backwashing, would permit escape of some of the sand through the foundation rather readily. The interposition of the distributin supports however, with their distributings ields 17d over the tubes 16,.pre vents the channeling of the gravel foundation, and effects an equalized distribution of the backwash water over the entire area of the filter floor, due to the freedom of iow through the side openings 17. The size and distribution of the topr openings 17 permits free passage of the backwash water upwardly Vinto the' gravel foundation, without jetting.

of economy are served by this invention due t0 the elimination of metal spray and strainer heads and substantial decrease in the amount of gravel required for the foundation bed, due to the entire elimination of channeling by backwashing, as described above. This also contributes to efliciency in operation by shortening the period Anecessary for the waterto pass through the filter foundation.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to a construction wherein the tubes 16 are supplied from a chamber underlying the ilter bottom, as the art is well informed as to a very great variety of ways in which desired flow connections with such tubes may be arranged.

What I claim is:

1. In a filter, in combination, a filter basin having a fiat bottom with vdistributed vertical flow openings therein, distributing supports resting on the basin bottom in close lateral association with one another, said distributing supportsL having distributin shields disposed over the iiow openings an b'eing provided with top openings accommodating flow of water vertically through them and lateral openings accoinmodating lateral flow of water from one o f them to another at different sides, fragmentary bed material supported by said distributing supports entirelyy above said lateral openings, and means for supplying water to the distributed vertical flow openings.

2. In a filter, in combination, a fiat bottomed basin provided with vertical flow passages, means for suppl ing backwash water to said flow passages elovvr the basin, distributing supports resting on the basin bottom and having distributing shields positioned over the openings of the flow passa es and'lateral openlngs accommodatinof a fistributed How of water horizontally rom respective distributmg supports to and from thoseon alla sides thereof, a bed of fragmentary material supported by said distributing supports enti-rely above said lateral openings, said distributing supports having openings through their tops to accommodate the flow member belo`w its top portion, and the top Y portion being formed with `a distributing shield and vertical How openings th/r'ough the top portion on all sides of the distributing shield.

In testimony` whereof I have hereunto signed my. name.'

WALTER WAGNER. 

